The Phoenix Traveler

Bars in Scottsdale will celebrate with a huge block party, the W hotel will host a masquerade, the Tempe Improv will do comedy with Frank Caliendo, and Valleywide restaurants and bars have special dinner/dances planned for New Year’s Eve. But what if big crowds getting blitzed doesn’t rock your world? If you like your celebrations to be a little more low key, here are a few alternatives that will help you greet 2009 on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008:
Game night with family or friends: I’ll be heading over to a friend’s house where we’ll play board games till the break of …read more

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After my boyfriend finished his 8-mile run this morning, I had a surprise for him. Instead of going to our usual spot for Saturday morning breakfast, I told him I wanted to ride the light rail. It’s the grand opening day celebration, and I thought we could try to find a spot somewhere on the rail line.
At first he resisted–it was pretty cold outside this morning, 50 degrees, probably less, and he was still in his running clothes. But he relented, and we headed off to what used to be called the Christown Mall at Montebello and 19th Avenue. It’s …read more

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Although the weather’s cooled down a bit since last week, it’s a common sight in Phoenix to see family and friends hiking together in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and other mountain trails in the Valley during the holiday season.
It seems the Phoenix winters were created especially for this outdoor activity. And homes that back up to the preserve make the perfect starting point.
Just ask Gene Urban and his wife Amy. They are known to schedule regular hike and brunch days. I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in one of them last weekend.
Take a look at …read more

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Day trips, weekend getaways, best places to visit. That’s what Arizona-based author and freelance writer wrote about in her first book published this year by Countryman Press. Called Great Escapes Arizona, Bitler’s book is available at local bookstores and online.
I wanted to talk to Bitler about her travels during the research of her book, because if there was ever a time to think about escape, it’s now. I met up with Bitler at a recent art fair, where I purchased her book, and she agreed to e-mail me with a few suggestions on where you might want to take …read more

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Don’t recognize the sign? It sort of looks like a McDonald’s, you say?
It really IS a McDonald’s franchise restaurant. But this one’s in Sedona, where zoning laws called for the restaurant to agree to construct teal arches, as opposed to its trademark yellow. The sign also sits lower to the ground, so it’s not a public eyesore.
To see this one for yourself, here are the driving directions:
From Phoenix, take I-17 to the SR 179 exit (Exit 298), turn LEFT, take another LEFT onto SR 89A. Before you turn onto 89A, you may see a billboard advertising the unique …read more

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In town visiting relatives, or are they visiting with you? Perhaps you’re wondering what you can do with everyone this holiday vacation. If you’ve already seen the lights and finished your shopping, and you still have two more weeks before you can open presents (Or maybe you’re looking for something to do once the unwrapping’s done.), how about a visit south to see a few of Arizona’s ghost towns?
I’m not talking Bisbee or Tombstone. I’m talking about the real ghost towns, the ones where no one, or practically no one, lives anymore. There was once a brochure called “Arizona Ghost …read more

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A fellow blogger here at b5media recently posted at Traveling the Green Way a how-to on greening your Christmas travels. She shared tips she learned at Responsible Travel. I thought I’d localize her post and let you know how you can follow those tips in Phoenix:
1)  Buy local. The blog post referred to produce, but you can extend that further to buy local produce as well as purchase gifts, services and other products sold right here in the Valley of the Sun by small business owners who live here. Look for the red symbol you see pictured above, or find …read more

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It’s all lit up in Prescott for the holidays. The Yavapai County Courthouse (pictured above), Whiskey Row behind it, the gift shops, boutiques and restaurants downtown–they all take part in the holiday festivities that have helped turn this former territorial town into Arizona’s official “Christmas City.”
With a heritage dating back to Victorian times and earlier, they know how to do Christmas here. Phoenicians drive the 90 miles north to see what’s been billed as the world’s largest Gingerbread Village. This year, more than 100 gingerbread structures decorate the lobby of the Prescott Resort now through December 28. The resort is …read more

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Mill Avenue in Tempe hustles and bustles with pedestrian traffic year-round. It’s not the place to go if you want peace and quiet. And though I’d say the majority of the people you’ll see milling around are Arizona State University students, urbanites from all over the Valley of the Sun head over on evenings and weekends to shop, dine at the many restaurants, hang out in the taverns, and walk, ride bikes or rollerblade over to Tempe Town Lake.
This coming weekend, however, pedestrians will flock to Mill Avenue–one of America’s “ten great streets” (American Planning Association, 2008)–for one of …read more

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Imagine your name on this brown piece of paper. It’s the ticket to statewide recreational fun. The Arizona State Parks Annual Pass costs just $50, and it’s good for the entire family–all year-long.
This holiday season, it could be the affordable gift that keeps on giving as it’s the economical way to travel and explore Arizona’s 27 state parks. Pictured above, the Standard Day-Use Entrance Pass is good for the family’s non-camping day-use and includes all the Parks except Colorado River Parks on weekends and holidays.
At Kartchner Caverns State Park, the pass is good for the entrance to …read more

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